Folding crate for poultry and other products



C. L. LEONARD.

FOLDING CRATE FOR POULTRY AND OTHER PRODUCTS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 27, 1920.

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C. L. LEONARD.

FOLDING CRATE FOR POULTRY AND OTHERPRODUCTS.

APPLICATION map FEB. 27, 1920.

Patented Aug. 30, 1921.

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Q J K PATENT. OFFICE.

GASWELL LEE LEONARD, or CORINTH, MISSISSIPPI.

FOLDING CRATE FOR POULTRY AND OTHER PRODUCTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 30, 1921.

Application filed. February 27, 1920. Serial No. 361,614.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CAsWnLL LEE LEON- ARD, citizen of the United States, residing at Corinth, in the county of Alcorn and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Crates for Poultry or other Products, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to shipping crates and aims to provide a novel and improved foldablc crate for shipping poultry, although it can be used for other purposes, and the construction being such as to enable the crate to be folded within small space when empty, so as to be stored or returned without re quiring such a large space or bulk as when erected, saving transportation charges.

Another object is the provision of such a' folding crate having sides and ends of novel construction and hingedly connected in a novel manner, so that they can be folded together effectively, as well as affording a substantial and rigid construction.

A further object is to provide a top and a bottom of novel form and hingedly mounted in a novel manner, so that they can be folded against the sides when the crate is collapsed, and serving to render the walls rigid when the crate is erected.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will "be apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes can be made within the scope of what is claimed without dc- The hinges comprise straps 17 doubled parting from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved crate, portions of the side and end panels being broken away to show the interior parts.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section adjacent to one set of hinges of the top and bottom, showing the top and bottom swung open to folded position in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section in the median plane of the crate, with the panels broken away.

7 position.

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the crate in folded position.

The side walls of the crate comprise upper and lower longitudinal parallel bars 6 and 7 respectively, to which are secured, in any suitable manner, the upper and lower edges of the side panels 8 which may be of wire mesh or other construction. The end walls are of similar construction, being com posed of the upper and lower transverse parallel bars 9 and 10, respectively, to which are secured the upper and lower edges of the end panels 11, similar to the side panels.

The side and end walls are hingedly connected' at the corners by means of vertical rods 13. Thus, the end portions of the bars 9 and 10 extend underneath and overlap the end portions of the respective bars 6 and 7, and. the rods 13 extend through said overlapping portions of the bars to hinge them together, and nuts 14 or similar members are threaded or otherwise engaged on the rods 13 above and below the corresponding end portions of the bars to retain said bars in The rods 13 not only serve to hinge the bars together, but also serve as corner posts to support the upper bars from the lower ones. This provides a substantial construction which is also inexpensive to manufacture, and the side and end walls can be conveniently folded together, as seen in Fig. 4. The ends of the bars 6 are preferably extended slightly outward to form handles 15 for conveniently lifting or carrying the crate.

The bottom of the crate comprises a pair of longitudinal side doors or sections 16 which are hinged to the lower side bars 7.

upon themselves and secured to the doors 16 and formed at the bends with loops or hinge butts 18 engaging staples 19 driven downwardly into the bars 7 and extending diagonally through said bars and clenched, with the bends of said staples at the outer upper corners of the bars 7. When the doors 16 are swung downwardly, their free edges abut one another, and their outer edges abut the bars 7, thereby serving to make the lower portion of the frame rigid, and the ends of the doors 16 have cleats 20 to bear on the end bars 10. A catch 21 pivoted to one door 16 is engageable with a staple or keeper 22 on the other door 16, for latching them together. Thedoors 16 being hinged to the bars 7 at the outer upper corners thereof can be swung upwardly against the side panels 8 between the bars 6 and 7 as seen in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The top of the crate also comprises a pair of longitudinal side doors or sections 23 to fit between the bars 6, and they are similarly hinged to said bars 6. The hinges comprise double straps 24 secured on the doors 28 and formed at their bends with hinge butts or loops 25 engaging the staples 26 driven diagonally downward through the bars 6 from the upper outer corners thereof and clenched. The hinge straps 24, like the straps 17, extend across the bars when the doors are closed, and the adjacent edges of the doors 23 abut one another, while the outer edges abut the bars 6. A catch 27 pivoted on one door 23 is engageable with a staple or keeper 28 carried by another door, to hold the doors closed and said doors have cleats 85 at their ends to bear on and overlap the inner sides of the bars 9 whereby to hold the crate in rectangular form with the walls at right angles to one another. By hinging the doors 23 to the bars 6 at the outer upper corners thereof, the doors 28 can be swung downwardly against the side panels 8 when they are opened as seen in dotted lines in Fig. 2. This also enables dirt to be swept off of the bottom.

One door 22 has an opening 29 for insertingand removing the poultry, and a cover 30 is provided for said opening, being pivoted, as at 31, on said door. The cover 30 has an aperture 32 to receive a pin for holding said cover closed and the cover has a finger piece 83 for conveniently opening and closing it. door 23 in both opened and closed positions, and the door has a keeper 34 to receive one edge of the cover 30 when it is closed to hold it over the opening.

The crate is thoroughly rigid when the bottom and top are in place between the re spective bars 7 and 6, and when the crate is empty, it can be compactly folded, by

swinging the doors 23 on the o'tuside against the panels 8 and swinging the doors 16 upwardly against said panels between the bars 6 and 7. The side and end walls can then be folded together, as shown in Fig. 4, there- Said cover remains on the by considerably reducing the space required in storing or shipping the crate when empty.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A folding crate having walls, each comprising upper and lower bars and a fabric panel secured at its upper and lower edges to said bars, the bars of the walls having their terminals overlapping one another, a rod at each corner extending through the corresponding terminals of both the upper and lower bars to hinge said bars together, and elements on said bars for holding them in position and for supporting the upper bars by said rods from the lower bars.

2. A folding crate comprising walls, each having a pair of bars and a panel, the terminals of said bars of the several walls overlapping, corner rods extending through said terminals to hinge the bars together and having means thereon for retaining the bars in position, some of said bars being below others, and doors hinged to the last named bars, and swingable between them to seat on the first named bars.

3. A folding crate comprising side and end walls, each having upper and lower bars and a panel, the terminals of the bars overlapping at-the corners, vertical rods extending through said terminals to hinge the bars together and having means for holding said bars in place, the end bars being below the side bars, and doors hinged to the side bars to swing between them and seat on the end bars.

4. A folding crate comprising side and end walls, each having upper and lower bars and a panel, the terminals of said bars overlapping at the corners, vertical rods extending through said terminals to hinge the bars together and having means for holding said bars in place, the end bars being below the side bars, pairs of doors to be disposed between the upper and lower side bars and seated on the end bars, and hinge members for the doors extending over the side bars and hinged at the upper outer corners thereof, whereby the lower doors can swing upwardly and the upper doors can swing downwardly against the inner and outer sides of the side panels, respectively.

In testimony whereof I hereunto atlix my signature.

CASWELL LEE LEONARD. 

